Effects of long chain fatty acids on lipid and glucose metabolism in monolayer cultures of bovine hepatocytes

The objectives were to determine the long-term (48 h) effects of specific long chain fatty acids on hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism in monolayer cultures of bovine hepatocytes. From 16 to 64 h after plating, hepatocytes from three 7- to 10-d-old calves were exposed to one of the following treatments: 1 mM palmitic acid (1 mM C16:0), 2 mM palmitic acid (2 mM C16:0), or 1 mM palmitic acid plus 1 mM of either stearic (C18:0), oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2), linolenic (C18:3), eicosapentaenoic (C20:5), or docosahexaenoic (C22:6) acid, or 0.5 mM each of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid (C20:5 + C22:6). The two treatments containing 2 mM of saturated fatty acids, 2 mM C16:0 and 1 mM C16:0 plus 1 mM C18:0, increased β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in the medium and [1-¹⁴C]palmitic acid oxidation to acid-soluble products compared with all other treatments. The treatment containing C22:6 increased total cellular triglyceride content and incorporation of [1-¹⁴C] palmitic acid into cellular triglycerides. The treatments containing C22:6 or C20:5 + C22:6 increased [1-¹⁴C]palmitic acid metabolism to phospholipids and cholesterol. The presence of C22:6 in the medium decreased metabolism of [2-¹⁴C]propionic acid either to glucose in the medium or to cellular glycogen. Overall, fatty acids differed in their effects on lipid and glucose metabolism in monolayer cultures of bovine hepatocytes with C22:6 eliciting the most profound changes.